#156: The Shadow that Turned Back

Email: [email protected] https://apostolicinternational.com/ Statement of beliefs: https://apostolicinternational.com/statement-of-beliefs The sermon: https://apostolicinternational.com/sermons/THE_SHADOW_THAT_TURNED_BACK.pdf This sermon is based on 2 Kings 20:10-11, recounting the miracle where God reversed the shadow on the sundial of Ahaz by ten degrees for King Hezekiah. Unlike Joshua's sun standing still for a nation at war, this miracle was granted to one dying man, offering a profound lesson about time, mortality, and redemption. The sermon establishes context: Hezekiah, a righteous king who reigned faithfully, was told by Isaiah at age 39 that he would die. He wept and prayed, and God granted him fifteen additional years—years that ironically allowed him to outlive his wicked father, Ahaz, who died at 36. The preacher notes that our consciousness of time itself originated with the Fall; before sin, Adam and Eve experienced time as boundless, but the curse introduced mortality and with it, urgency and dread. Central to the message is the distinction between ordinary years and "God years"—time reclaimed from death itself. Hezekiah used his extended years productively (completing reforms, building infrastructure, securing his lineage) but also stumbled, displaying pride before Babylonian ambassadors. This cautions listeners to use their God-given time wisely rather than selfishly. Drawing on Joel 2:25's promise to "restore the years the locust hath eaten," the sermon assures listeners that God can redeem wasted time, illustrated through the thief on the cross, the woman at the well, and the prodigal son—each receiving restoration despite squandered years. The message culminates in declaring Jesus as the Lord of time itself, unbound by its limits, who conquered death and the grave. The sermon closes with a challenge: since we don't know our remaining days like Hezekiah did, we must "redeem the time" (Ephesians 5:16), using each moment purposefully for God's glory rather than allowing life to slip away unused.